Lyrics Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright III

When You Leave

You left for camp

You left for school

Left for the coast when that was cool

Then you left women;

One a wife

To save your skin you wrecked a life

When there's kids, its not just one life you wreck,

you're on the run

You go to town to start anew

But those you left come after you

Its what you think

Its how you feel

Though who can say if its all real?

The darndest thing is kids grow up

One day some strange adults show up

The ones you left arrive in town

"That's nice", you say, "they'll be around

Perhaps they're just a bit bereft, but they'll forgive

the one who left"

Sad stories can have happy ends

Perhaps now, you can just be friends

Its what you want

Its how you feel

What's more, you hope your theory's real

Who would've thought or could believe

Things go so badly when you leave

The skin you save is growing slack

And those you left don't want you back

Your power's gone

It was pretend

The wife you left meant more to them

Its not just that they side with her

You left and who knew where you were

The reason that they came to town,

was just to make the place their own

They realized your greatest fear;

you are so close but hardly here

Its what you think

Its how you feel

And what's worse is you know its real